The season of hope and renewal dawned this Easter Monday with birdsong, flowers and a pond full of frog eggs. When I brought a pot of hard-boiled eggs to the table, I thought perhaps two or three children would be drawn from their imaginative play, but I was surprised when every child present immediately found a place around the table and gazed intently as they quietly awaited their turn to dip an egg into the glass bowl of water, turmeric and vinegar. In only a moment, the eggs were turned a light gold, and the children were thrilled at the transformation.
We placed the eggs in a basket to dry, and later, as we finished our circle time, the children noticed that the basket was empty! We all ran outside into the new warmth and the children dashed around, delighted to find the eggs among the flowers or in the roots of the trees. They began to sing spontaneously the song from our morning circle game, “Easter eggs are hiding everywhere!”
Then Clayton discovered a large golden goose egg under the tulip leaves! He held it up in wonder. It sounded like something was inside. “Let’s open it!” So, with all of the children gathering, I cracked the hard shell. We found it filled with nasturtium seeds. Later that morning each child planted one in potting soil. Now we will wait and watch!
On Tuesday we began a new morning circle with the verse:
A tired caterpillar went to sleep one day
In a snug little cradle of silken grey
And he said as he softly curled up in his nest
‘O crawling is nice, but rest is best.’
He slept through the winter long and cold
All tightly up in his blanket rolled.
He awoke to find he had golden wings
And no longer need crawl over sticks and things.
‘Oh, the earth’ is nice said the glad butterfly,
‘But the sky is best when we learn to fly’.
Each child takes a turn to be wrapped up in our gray woolen afghan, then at the end of the verse he or she emerges in a golden silk to flutter around the room.
That morning, the four children who are six or turning six years old this school year began a woodworking project. Each sanded a small piece of thin wood and chose an art postcard to mount on their plaque. When they finish, each will carry it with him or her “over the bridge” on the last day of school June 7.
On Wednesday, it was so warm that the children could play outside during free play time before circle. After this long winter, they are longing to immerse themselves in the rediscovery of the flowing stream, the tree house, and yes, sand and mud! They created a huge “volcano” in the sandbox and brought bucket after bucket from the rain barrel to fill it until it did, in fact, hold water.
In his digging, Avery was surprised to find an old coin, and he took it as a sign to dig for buried treasure. We found a spot that would likely appeal to pirates, and he and Lily R. set to work! Soon their hole filled with water, preventing further digging, but they have high hopes that next week will bring new developments.
To be continued…..
